Portable fluorescent lamp control system



Nov. 23, 1948. 1. POLLACK PORTABLE FLUORESCENT LAMP CONTROL SYSTEM Filed July 5, 1947 FIG.3

INVENTOR. SRAEL POLLACK ATTORNEY battery.

Patented Nov. 23, 1948 .PORTABIJE FEUORES'CENTLAMP" CONTROL SYSTEM .1:;- Israel vPollack, BrooklymN. Ya, assignor toiParamount. Industries,..lnc., a corporation of New IYork Afipiicatior'l luly 5, 1947,:iSerial N0i- 7 59,267

' :lamp 'controlasystems' rand; mo-re. particularly, to .systems for controllingzthe energization of such lamps selectively ;-:f1'0m .iself-ccntained battery sources or from an external .commerciallsupply circuit. In the co'pendinglapplication of Alfonse D. Sobel, Serial No. 6683103,,filed; May 8,1946, now Patent No. 2,435,164, and assigned to the same assignee aszthe: present application, there is described and claimed a portablelfluorescent lamp provided withmself-contained batteries. The present invention is an improvementon the lamp of that applicationvwhichpermits operation of the lamp from an external commercial supply circuit when available.

It is an object ofthe present invention, therefore, to provide a newxand improvedcontrol system for a portable fluorescent .lamp of:the type described which permits operation of thelamp from a commercial supply circuit when available and thus reduces the drain onthe self-contained battery and prolongs its life.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved.control systemxfor.fluorescent lamps of..the typedescribed,inawhichyoperation from. a. commercial, supply. circuitcan be effected only when: the. self-contained battery is disconnected, thus: precluding any possibility of lshortecircuiting. the; supply circuit through. the

It is another object of the-,inventionto provide a new andimproved control-.systenrfor.=fiuorescent, lamps ofzthentype, described, in which the operator is notrcquired to. remember any particular switching operation, in eflecting a change-over frombatteryto supplywcircuit operation.

In accordancewiththe invention, a control system for a portable fluorescent lampl included 7 in a housingand adapted; to be energizedaselec tively from self-containedbattery means ornfrom an external electriczsupply circuitcomprises a unitary controlpaneliincluding devicesvfor starting the lamp, ,aswitch having,-batteryterminals and external supply circuitv terminals and con tact means movable therebetween andlbiasedjinto engagementwith the, battery terminals. The control-system also includes an external circuit fixture connected to the. supply circuit terminals and exposed to the outside of the-housin and an operatinglmember for theswitchnormally covering the fixture but movable away therefrom to permit connection of an external line-cord fixture.

For asbetter: understanding 1 of the. invention,

; 4 Claims. (01.315-175) -together withrother and. further. objects thereof, reference; islhadt to :the; following-1 description taken in connection i 1 with 1 the accompanying drawingpand, its scopewvill.bezpointed out in; the i appendedclaims.

. Referring, nowto the drawing, Fig. ,1 is aperuspectiveiview of a portable fluorescent lamp em- :bodying thccontrol system i of" the invention i Fig. 12a is atop perspective view; of .a;sub -,assemb1y ofrthezlampofrFig, 1;.-;Fig. 2b is aipartialucrosssectional view citric-lamp Of FlgALSHOWlHg' certain, details ofatha subeassembly of Figflar: while -,'-.Fig. :3 is ialcircuit'rdiagram of the control system (embodied in thelamp of they preceding figures.

, :Reierring nowparticularly to: the. drawing; the .lampm nayv be of -.the same; generalltyi e as that described in the aforesaid -Sob el application comprising, a housingll having an uppen. cap or ..--closure H and lower. cap orclosure. I 2., 2 Thefront of the lamp is arcuate. in section-and is enclosed Tyby a .curveditransparent,sheet=i3 Qf lass,-.plas-- .tic or theslike. A, suitable carrying .handle [4 is providedxand there areprovided .offandfon buttons-J lfimandiclfi, respectively, protruding v.througlrthe 1 top .cap ll. inathe vicinity; of the handle M for [readyv manipulation.

The clamp ...also .includes a control -system mountedwithin thechousing. manclwadapted to' wsbetenergized. selectively from self-contained: batenies ll, [1- or from .an external. supplycircuit. i This control system includes a. unitary control gripanel I8 cwithy upezturned longitudinal..- mountin fiangeswlfiau lBbMOn-thepanel; IS-are: mounted :the several devices :required for starting the fluorescent .lamp,.such aststabilizing resistors 19, .--.-2[I and an.fofi, orcircuit-openingswitchl I. dis- -l-posed immediatelyebemw the pushrbutton. l5 for operation'thereby and a.;switch;22ohavin nora mally, open contactsw 22aconnected-. to shortcircuit atleast a portion.- ofs'thezresistance. procontrol :panel l8. y The control system otthei invention, also includes a-rotaryswitch1-25 illustrated in more detail, diagrammatically: inFig. '3 and comprising a .pair: of:- diametrically opposed batteryzterminals 2512,1511 and a,pair. of diametrically opposed. ex-

;ternal supply circuit terminals-15m 2 5b and con- 3 tact means movable therebetween and biased into engagement with the battery terminals. For example, the switch 25 may include also a pair of opposed stationary arcuate contact segments 25c, 25d and a pair of bridging contacts 25c, 25 each movable between one of the battery terminals 25a, 25a and one of the supply circuit terminals 25b, 25b and engaging one of the segments 25c, 25]. The contacts 25c, 25] are mounted on a radial arm 25g which is biased by means of a spring 25h so that the contacts 25c, 25 normally engage the contacts 25a, 25a.

The control system also includes an external circuit fixture, such as a plug connector 26, the two terminals of which are connected to the sup ply circuit terminals 25b, 25b of switch 25. The fixture 26 is confined within the housing, as shown in Fig. 212, but is exposed to the outside of the housing through an aperture Na in the top cap I l. The switch 25 is provided with an operating member or handle 21 secured to a shaft 252' protruding throughthe top cap H of the housing. The disposition of the aperture Ila with respect to the switch 25 is such that the operating handle 2! normally covers the aperture Na and thus the fixture 26 but, upon movement of the switch handle 21 in a clockwise direction to disengage the battery terminals 25a, 25a, it exposes the aperture Ila and the fixture 26 to permit connection of a fixture or socket 28 attached to an external line cord 29.

It is believed that the operation of the control system for portable fluorescent lamps described above will be clear from the foregoing description. However, briefly, assuming the line cord 29 and socket 28 to be disconnected and the lamp to be de-energized, the switch 25 will be biased by the spring 25h into the position in which the handle 21 covers the aperture Hat and the fixture 26 and in which the switch contacts 25c, 25d, which are connected to the lamp circuit, are energized from the battery I! through contacts 25a, 25a. If now, the switch 22 be closed momentarily by means of the button IS, the normally open contacts 22a are closed to shortcircuit the resistor 20 and almost immediately thereafter the contacts 2221 are closed to shortcircuit the lamp bulb 23 by interconnecting its filaments 23a, 23a. This completes the circuit to the lamp and, as is well understood in the art, current builds up from the battery I! through the resistor Hi, the reactor 24, the filaments 23a, 23a in series, and the normally closed switch 2|. A few seconds later when the filaments 23a, 23a are heated, release of the on button I 6 interrupts the short circuit of the lamp 23 and immediately afterward the short circuit around resistor 20 and tends to interrupt the current in the inductor 24 but such tendency causes a high counter-electromotive force to be built up therein which initiates a discharge between the filaments 23a, 23a to illuminate the lamp. When equilibrium has been reached, the resistors l9 and 20 in series are effective to stabilize the operation of the lamp and limit the drain onthe battery 11. If now, the button i is depressed to open the contacts 2!, the circuit of the lamp is opened and the lamp remains de-energized until the on button 46 is operated again.

If now an external electric supply circuit is available, the line cord 29 may be connected to that circuit and the switch-handle 21 rotated clockwise to permit connection of the socket 28 and the fixture 2B. This clockwise rotation of the switch handle 21 operates the switch 25 to close the contacts between the lamp circuit and the external supply circuit terminals b, 25b. With this connection, the operation of the lamp is in all respects similar to that described above. With the provision of the control system described, it is thus seen that it is impossible to connect the lamp to an external supply circuit ent considered to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A control system for a portable fluorescent lamp included in a housing and adapted to be energized selectively from self-contained battery means or from an external electric supply circuit, comprising: a unitary control panel including devices for starting the lamp, a switch having battery terminals and external supply circuit terminals and contact means movable therebetween and biased into engagement with said battery terminals, and an external circuit fixture connected to said supply circuit terminals and exposed to the outside of said housing; and an operating member for said switch normally covering said fixture but movable away therefrom to permit connection of an external line-cord fixture.

2. A control system for a portable fluorescent lamp included in a housing and adapted to be energized selectively from self-contained battery means or from an external electric supply circuit, comprising: a unitary control panel including a stabilizing resistance means, an on-ofi switch including contacts for short-circuitlng at least a portion of said resistance means, a starting inductor, a switch having battery terminals and external supply circuit terminals and contact means movable therebetween and biased into engagement with said battery terminals, and an external circuit fixture connected to said supply circuit terminals and exposed to the outside of said housing; and an operating member for said switch normally covering said fixture but movable away therefrom to permit connection of an external line-cord fixture.

3. A control system for a portable fluorescent lamp included in a housing and adapted to be energized selectively from self-contained battery means or from an external electric supply circuit, comprising: a unitary control panel including devices for starting the lamp, a rotary switch having a pair of diametrically opposed battery terminals and a pair of diametrically opposed external supply circuit terminals, a pair of stationary contact segments and a pair of bridging contact elements each movable between one of said battery terminals and one of said supply circuit terminals and engaging one of said segments and biased into engagement with said energized selectively from self-contained battery 10 means or from an external electric supply circuit, comprising: a unitary control panel including devices for starting the lamp, a switch having battery terminals and external supply circuit terminals and contact means movable therebetween and biased into engagement with said battery terminals, and an external circuit plug connector connected to said supply circuit terminals, confined within said housing and exposed to the outside of said housing; and an operating member for said switch normally covering said plug connector but movable away therefrom to permit connection of an external line-cord socket.

ISRAEL POLLACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 15 1,904,935 Scott Apr. 18, 1933 2,358,796 Edgerton Sept. 26, 1944 2,413,599 Beck Dec. 31, 1946 

